By Darren Peck

When you think of massage what usually comes to mind? A day out at the spa? You may be surprised to learn that the field of massage therapy is becoming recognized as so much more than just a rare luxury.

In fact reputable medical sources are seeing the benefits to massage as a preventative health treatment. With the costs of health-care and insurance constantly on the rise, and new syndromes discovered almost as often as the drugs developed to treat them, there has to be something to get us off this vicious cycle of ‘commercial healthcare’.

Today most of the treatments and prescriptions for common and not so common ailments only mask the symptoms, tricking the body into thinking the problem is not really there. This is like sweeping the dirt under the rug. The dirt has not gone away and in time it will build up until there is no denying the bulge in the rug where the dirt is hiding!

Wouldn’t it be more effective to get rid of the problem in the first place?  Prescription drugs for pain management for example can be a continued necessity for months if not years! The expense of those alone can be stressful!

Our bodies have the amazing ability to regenerate damaged tissue, fight off infection and protect itself against harmful attacks from disease causing germs. The immune system is just one of the many systems in the body designed to identify and help correct a problem within the body. Stress is the biggest culprit in lowering our immune system!

Compare our bodies to a car. Fresh off the showroom floor the car purrs like a kitten when we drive it home. All the many moving parts are lubricated and functioning in perfect time, giving us the joy of the open road!

But, we neglect to change the oil. We haven’t checked the brakes in a number of years now! Without proper care and maintenance, that shiny new car begins to have problems. Mechanical parts start to break down. It starts to cough and splutter in the morning. It doesn’t make it up the hill like it used to. It starts to leak and overheat or make strange noises it hasn’t made before. Eventually costly repairs are necessary.

The mechanic would likely let you know that if you had regularly serviced your vehicle, then you could have avoided such a costly repair. Our bodies are the same way, if not more important! Health insurance with it’s deductibles, co-pays and prescription costs soon add up to quite an expense. Again. very stressful!

Independent studies have shown that massage therapy has been successful in treating such ailments as insomnia, arthritis, and chronic back pain. Simple massage therapies encourage the body to produce endorphins, a natural pain killer. It stimulates the immune system best of all it can help keep you out of the doctor’s office and away from the clutches of prescription drugs.

With the current economic downturns and uncertainties, stress levels are at an all time high! Take the time to experience massage for the therapeutic value it has and your body will thank you for it.

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